Rail-spiking machine



(N0 Model.)

S. W. ROBERTS &E. P. CALDWELL. RAIL SPIKING MACHINE.

No. 401,374. Patented Apr. 16, 1889.

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UNITED STATES SOLOMON \V. ROBERTS AND EDYVARD P. CALDWELL, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

RAlL-SPIKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 401,374, dated April 16, 1889.

' Application filed October 15, 1888. Serial No. 238,182. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, SOLOMON W. ROBERTS and EDWARD P. CALDWELL, of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Spiking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in a machine for driving spikes to fasten the rail to the tie, to facilitate the construction of railroads; and our invention consists, generally, in the combination and arrangement hereinafter described, and particularly point- 1 ed out in the claims.

This machine is particularly adapted for use in connection with our improved tracklayer, for which an application for Letters Patent was filed March 5, 1888, Serial No. 266,242. Ne do not confine ourselves, however, to the use of our improvement with this machine, as it may be used separately if desired.

In the drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a cross-section of a car or platform showing our improved spiking-machine attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a 1011- gitudinal section taken on line x :1: of Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4:, and 5 are details.

In the drawings, 2 represents the frame which supports the working mechanism of our improvement, and preferably extends across the platform or car 3, and is supported at either side by suitable feet or braces, 5, by which the said frame is raised a considerable distance above the platform or floor of the car, leaving an open space between the end braces, 5, and below the lower member of the frame 2 sufficient for the passage of the rails and ties beneath the said frame. At each side of the center of the said frame 2, and at a distance apart to correspond to the gage or spread of the rails forming the track, we prefer to place ways '7. These ways form guides for the vertically-sliding plungers 9. The lower ends of these plungers are preferably provided with two projecting drivers, 11. These drivers are arranged to be brought in contact with the spike at either side of the rail, and as the plunger 9 is forced down the drivers will followthe spike and cause it to enter the tie and secure the rail thereto. The sliding motion of the plungers 9 is obtained by means of a cam or eccentric, 13, revolving in a recess formed in the said plungers for its reception, and preferably bearing upon the said plunger at the top and bottom of the recess, so that the said plunger will be both raised and lowered by the revolution of the eccentric. This eccentric is preferably mounted on a shaft, 15, held in suitable bearings in the frame 2, and provided with a gear, 17, revolving loosely on said shaft. This gear is arranged to mesh or engage with a suitable clutch-coupling, 19, keyed to the shaft 15, so that when the said clutch is in contact or engagement with the gear the shaft 15 will be revolved and the plunger 9 operated.

Motion is imparted to the gear 17 by means of a pinion, 21, mounted on the shaft 23. This shaft revolves in suitable bearings in the frame 2, and is preferably provided with a pulley, 25, by which it is driven, and with a fly-wheel, 27 by which the power is governed. The action of the coupling is preferably controlled by a lever, 29, f ulcrumed upon the side of the frame 2. The upper end of this lever is connected with the coupling, and the lower end is arranged to engage a treadle, 30, also fulcrumed upon the frame 2 and provided with a lip or catch, 32,which receives and retains the end of the lever 29 when the clutch is out of engagement, and so holds it until pressure is brought to bear upon the treadle to release the lever. A spring, 34, is preferably provided to force the clutch into contact when the lever 29 is released. Vi e prefer to provide a disk or cam upon the movable portion of the clutch having a projection, 86, formed at some convenient point upon its face, arranged to be brought in contact by the revolution of the disk with a horn or projection, 38, upon the frame 2. The forward surface of the projection 36 is preferably inclined outward, so that as the disk is revolved and the two projections are brought together the projection 36 will ride up upon the stationary horn 38 and force the disk outward and re lease the clutch. This motion also causes the lever to engage the treaclle, and one revolution of the shaft 15 is completed and the motion of the plunger stopped.

It is necessary to provide some means for holding the spikes in their proper position previous to being acted upon by the plungers and the drivers. This I prefer to do by means of a carrier,31, arranged to slide beneath the plunger 9 and held in suitable ways upon the frame 2. The interior of the carrier is more clearly shown in detail in Fig. 5.

An opening is formed in the carrier 31,corresponding in position with the drivers 11, and into this opening the spikes are arranged to be fed from a suitable receptacle at the front of the machine.

Below the carrier 31, and surrounding the opening for the spike, we prefer to place sleeves or cases 33. At the two sides of the inner surface of the case 33 we prefer to place springs 35, supported at the top and curved downwardly and toward the center, as shown .in Fig. 2, for the purpose of holding and centering the spike beneath the drivers 11. The side of the sleeves nearest therail is preferably recessed or cut away to receive the spring 37. This spring bears against the spike and presses it upon the opposite flat side of the sleeve, which holds it in proper line to be driven just outside of the flange of the rail. As the plunger operates, the drivers pass into the interior of the sleeve 33 and force the spike downward through the said sleeve, the springs 35 and 37 giving sufficiently to allow for the passage of the largerportion or head of the spike and the driver.

When this device is used in connection with our improved track-layer, the rails and crossties are fed beneath the plunger by means of an endless chain, 41, and we prefer to provide a means for automatically operating the plunger when the cross-ties have reached the proper position. This is done by extending the foot of the treadle 3O inward toward the center a sufficient distance to be in line with the ends of the cross-ties as they are fed through the machine. The longitudinal position of this treadle is such that it will be reached and depressed by the cross-tie when the said cross-tie is in the proper position to receive the spikes.

The carrier 31 may also be made to operate automatically by means of a lever, 43, fulcrumed upon the frame 2 and extending downward with its lower end connected by means of a link, 45, with the sliding carrier 31. An inclined projection, 47, may be placed upon the plunger 9 and arranged to strike the curved portion of the lever 43 when the said plunger is in its upward throw, causing the saidlever to be forced out, as shown in full line in Fig. 2, bringing the sleeves 33 in position to receive the spikes from the feeding mechanism;

A spring, 49, is secured to the lever and operates to draw it back to its normal position when the incline 47 has been carried out of contact with the lever by the downwardlymoving plunger 9. This action of the spring forces the carrier 31 back to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, with the spikes in proper position to be driven. We do not confine ourselves, however, to the automatic action of this carrier, as the lever maybe operated and the carrier filled by hand, if desired.

We prefer to provide means to regulate the machine to receive cross-ties of varying thickness and to provide a solid foundation upon which the cross-ties will rest while the spikes are being driven. In order to accomplish this we prefer to place supports 51 and 52 beneath the cross-tie at either side of the center of the machine, forming a bearing directly below the point where the rails are fastened. These supports are preferably made in sections, and one section is arranged to slide upon the other, and the surfaces thus brought in contact are preferably inclined, so that as the portions are advanced or receded upon each other the cross-tie resting upon the upper portion will be raised or lowered.

A rack-bar, 53, is preferably secured to the upper portion, and a corresponding rack-bar, 55, is also secured to the lower portion. The teeth of these rack-bars extend toward each other, and a pinion, 57, is arranged to mesh ward or downward on the incline and accom-- modate itself to whatever the thickness of the tie may be.

The handle or lever 59 may be secured to the pinion 57 or the shaft upon which said pinion is mounted. This lever is for the purpose of partially revolving the shaft and pinion and operating the support.

We may prefer to provide means for automatically operating this inclined support, and for this purpose we prefer to attach to the frame 2 by a suitable fulcrum abell-crank lever, 61. Means may be provided for adjusting this lever in a perpendicular direction, so that the lower end can be brought to suit any desired thickness of the tie. This lever is preferably hung in a position to engage the tie before it passes onto the support 51. If the cross-tie is of the right thickness, it will pass under the bell-crank without moving it. If it is of greater thickness than that for which the machine is set, it will force the lower arm of the bell-crank forward and raise its upper arm. This arm is preferably connected with the lever 59 by a suitable rod, 63. The motion of the bell-crank 61 causes an upward motion of the lever 59 and apartial revolution of the gear 57. This causes a down ward movement of the support 51 and causes the said support to be receded sufficiently to allow the thicker cross-tie to pass under the plunger and receive the spikes. We do not confine ourselves to this method of operating the support, as other mechanisms may be used to accomplish this result without depart ing from our invent-ion.

In order that the position of the drivers 11 on the flange 9 may be varied, we prefer to form upon the driver a threaded shank, 10, by means of which the driver is secured to the flange. This shank is eccentrically arranged upon the end of the driver, and a washer, 12, is arranged between the driver and the bot tom of the flange, surrounding the threaded shank 10. By turning the drivers their position may be changed and they may be brought farther apart or nearer together, as desired. It is of course necessary to change the washer 12, or put an additional washer between the bottom of the flange and the driver. If the driver is partially unscrewed for the purpose of changing the position by the means described, it will be seen that the drivers may be laterally adjusted upon the end of the flange, so as to increase or diminish the distance between them to adapt the machine for driving the spikes. ing rails of various widths, the drivers are preferably at diagonal opposite corners of the flange, as shown in Figs. 2 and at, as it is usually preferred to arrange the spikes so that they will not be directly opposite each other.

It will be understood that the details of the construction may be varied, as by substitutin g other mechanical devices that are equivalents of those shown and described for operating the various parts of the machine.

.. e claim as our invention- 1. The combination, in a machine of the class described, with the sliding plate 31, pro vided with the spike-holders 33, of the reciprocating plunger 9, provided with the drivers 11, adapted to enter said spike-holders and push the spikes through said holders, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in amachine of the class described, with the sliding plate 31, of the depending spike-holders 33, secured upon said plate and adapted to receive spikes from a suitable receptacle, the springs 35 and 37, arranged upon the inner side of the said spikeholders, the reciprocating plunger 9, provided with the drivers 11, adapted to enter said spike-holders, and the driving-shaft 15, provided with the eccentric 13, engaging said plunger, whereby said shaft is rotated and said plunger is raised and lowered, all substantially 5 as described.

For the purpose of securclass described, with the reciprocating plunger 9, provided with the spike-drivers 11 of the driving-shaft 15,provided with the eccentric 13, engaging said plunger, the clutch mechanism upon said shaft, and the releasing-treadle 30, adapted to be engaged by a moving tie releasing said clutch mechanism when the tie passes beneath the plunger, for the purpose specified.

i. The combination, in a machine of the class described, with the reciprocating plunger 9, of the laterally-adjustable spike-drivers 11, secured upon the bottom of said plunger and adapted to be moved from or toward each other, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a machine of the class described, with the sliding plate 31, provided with the spike-holders, of the verticallyreciprocating plunger provided with the spikedrivers 11, and the inclined support 51, arranged beneath said plunger, substantially as described.

6. The combination, in a machine of the class described, with the sliding plate 31, provided with the spike-holders 33, of the vertically-reciprocating plunger 9, provided with the spike-drivers 11, the block 52, provided with the inclined upper surface, the block 51, provided with the inclined lower surface resting upon said block 52, and means for moving said block 51 upon said block 52, for the purpose.

specified.

7 The combination, in a machine of the class described, with the sliding plate 31, provided with the spike-holders 33, of the vertical- .ly-reciprocating plunger 9, provided with the spike-drivers 11, the block 52, provided with the inclined upper surface, the block 51,pro-

vided with the inclined lower surface resting" upon said block 52, the rack-bars 53 and 55 upon said blocks, a pinion, 57, engaging said rack-bar, the bell-cranked lever 61, adapted to be engaged by a moving tie, the lever 59, connected with said pinion, and the rod 63, connecting said bell-crank lever with said lever 59 all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 22d day of September, 1888.

SOLOMON \V. ROBERTS. EDlVARD P. OALDVVELL.

\Yitnesses as to Solomon XV. Roberts:

A. 0. PAUL, (3-. L. NAOHTRIEB.

WVitnesses as to Edward P. Caldwell:

A. 0. PAUL, J. J ESSEN. 

